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Nations
At the dawn of the 21st century there were over 200 individual nation states on Earth, today there are less than thirty. The reason for this reduction is the fact that many nations have slowly merged together into super states known as blocs for political, military, or economic reasons. Amongst the few nations to remain are Brazil, Egypt, India, and Japan. Some of these blocs are true parterships, with each of the original member states having an equal say in how the state develops. Others are dominated by a senior member, often the richest or strongest nation. Still others have been formed by military conquest and occupation, weaker nations been swollowed up by an agressive or expansionist neighbour. The first such bloc to form was the Western European Union, the forerunner of the Unio do Okcidenta Europo or UOE, following the collapse of an earlier, looser, community known as the European Union. Other blocs which soon formed included the Eastern European Union, the United Commonwealth, and the South Asian Trade Alliance which eventually became the Asian Co-Prosperity League. The Berlin Group In 2278 a group of economists, diplomats (both active and retired), and other social commentators gathered in the Berlin International Hotel to discuss the state of the world. During this semi-informal conference a system was developed to rate and compare the twelve most powerful nations on Earth. These countries were divided into three tiers - I through III - with a nations position based on its economic strength, military power, diplomatic influence, and off-world territories. In 2308 a second meeting was held, known as Berlin +30, which reevaluated the twelve major nations and also sorted the remaining Earth nations into two additions categories (Tiers IV and V). An additional criteria for a nations rank was added, social and cultural influence. Tier I - The Superpowers The three Superpowers are the dominant nations both on Earth and beyond. Their influence is undeniable thanks to their economic power, industrial capabilities, and military strengths. Celestial Empire of the Golden Dragon Reformed USSR The United States of America Tier II - Major Powers These nations are only slightly less powerful than the superpowers. The main distinction is that, with the exception of the HRE, none of these nations controls an entire planet. The HRE controls the twin worlds of Lada and Morena but has few diplomatic ties with other nations. The Russian Empire's economy is also focused inwards with little trade taking place with other countries. Brazil Holy Russian Empire Unio de Okcidenta Europo (UOE) United Commonwealth Tier III - Regional Powers Whilst generally weaker than the Major Powers, these nations still possess a large degree of influence especially amongst their neighbours. Argentina India Islamic Republic of Persia Japan South Africa Tier IV - Nations (Space Faring) This category includes the majority of nations on Earth. These countries have a few off-world possessions (usually one or two colonies) and small fleets of interstellar ships (both commercial and military). Asian Co-Prosperity League Byzantium Carthage Democratic Republic of the Congo East African Union Eastern European Union Egypt The Free States of South America Ivory Coast Union Kenya Matopos Peoples Republic of Central America The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia West African Republic Tier V - Nations (None Space-Faring) Although these nations lack any form of off-world presence or long range ships their citizens still enjoy a fairly high standard of living, comparable to a citizen of Western Europe or North America in the mid-21st century. Both the Pan-Pacific Alliance and Sri Lanka possess small interstellar merchant fleets. Pan-Pacific Alliance Sri Lanka Sudania Off-World Nations A number of nations exist away from Earth, independent of any other nation state. Some of these nations are former colonies which have gained independence through either peaceful means or rebellion, others were established by refugees or by corporations. Perhaps the most famous of these independent nations are the Free Cities of Mars and Israel. Atlas Free Cities of Mars Israel-in-Exile Khemed The Republic of Ciamverde Category:Background